Leith Hill

We bid a fond farewell to Leith Hill Tower and all-round Mole Valley stalwart David Stubbs by way of a tower watch (though I could only bear turning up for the tail end, not because of the company, but I didn't fancy freezing for hours, seeing nothing!) followed by lunch at The Plough in Coldharbour. It was very quiet for birds, my notebook including singles of Fieldfare, Bullfinch, Siskin and Kestrel, plus two Marsh Tits and eight Redwings.

Mole Valley Bird Race

I met Ian Jones at a suitably ridiculous hour for the sixth annual Mole Valley Bird Race. As always, pre-dawn on Leith Hill was the plan but a stupid navigational error knocked us back up to 20 minutes and to our horror it was fairly light as we arrived on Duke's Warren to a chorus of at least three Cuckoos, including a female. After an anxious few minutes, a Nightjar churred but we were too late for Woodcock and had missed Woodlark too. A circuit of the heath and the wooded valley to the west added singing Redstart, Willow Warbler and Whitethroat, as well as Stonechat and Siskin. At least three Garden Warblers were in song and we heard a small number of Treecreepers in the woods, as well as a Nuthatch, which can be tricky to locate at this time of year. Juvenile Long-tailed Tits and Robin were my first of the year.

Buckland Sand Pits provided three drake Mandarins, a Sparrowhawk mobbed by a Mistle Thrush, three Egyptian Geese, a Reed Warbler, two Lapwings, a Red Kite, a few Buzzards, a Kestrel, a Pied Wagtail, six Tufted Ducks, Grey Heron, Garden Warbler, two Little Grebes and three Great Crested Grebes, a few Swifts, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, and best of all perhaps 60 Sand Martins which had suddenly taken a liking to one of the cliff faces and were busying around their nest holes. Much smaller numbers of House Martins and Swallows were also around.  At this point we were joined by Darragh Culley for a few hours.

Sand Martin at Buckland Park Pit

drake Mandarins at Buckland Sand Pits

At Betchworth Quarry Ian spotted the old female Peregrine loafing on the grass.

Along the River Mole behind the Dorking Wyevale garden centre, we found a Grey Wagtail with food, plus a Kestrel and two Buzzards.

Leatherhead offered a Black-headed Gull - always a valuable species for this race. Also a brood of five Mute Swans, Grey and Pied Wagtails and a Grey Heron.

Mickleham produced Kingfisher and Little Egret (three) for our day's total, as well as Red Kite, two Buzzards and Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Juniper Bottom was extremely quiet, with Sparrowhawk, two Buzzards, a Kestrel and a Green Woodpecker noted.

Denbies Wine Estate was twitched, yes twitched, for Starling! Far more interesting was the apparent House Martin colony.

Darragh left us and Ian and I headed towards Leith Hill again. We stopped at Chadhurst Farm, adding Red-legged Partridge and noting few birds of any note at all beyond Pied Wagtail, Swallow, Canada Goose, Greylag and Buzzard.

At Leith Hill again, this time we tracked down a pair of Dartford Warblers and heard/saw a Woodlark in spectacular song flight. Sadly, Tree Pipits are not present on the hill this year but it is great to see Dartfords and Stonechats breeding on site again.

At Newdigate Lakes early evening, we had a pair of Mute Swans with seven young, 10 Tufted Ducks, Little Grebe, Kestrel, Reed Warbler, Pied Wagtail, Red Kite, Grey Heron, Red-legged Partridge, a few Swifts, Greylags etc, while Reed Bunting was added to the day list.

Mute Swans at Newdigate Lakes

Our failure was protracted last thing at Capel where we didn't hear Nightingale, but did hear a Reed Bunting and young Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

My worst-ever Mole Valley Bird Race, my team finishing last on 76 species.

Oare Marshes, Bough Beech Reservoir, Leith Hill and Canons Farm

A long and enjoyable day in the field with Bob, over from Kansas. We started at Oare Marshes, arriving shortly after high tide. The adult Red-necked Phalarope was immediately visible on the East Flood, where we also tracked down a Spotted Redshank and a Little Stint. Other waders present included a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpipere, a couple of Greenshanks and Whimbrel, a few Ruff and Snipe, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover and the usual hordes of Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks. Adding to the set of waders were the usual Avocets, Oystercatchers and Curlews. Caldrids were in short supply, with only a couple of Dunlin noted in addition to the stint. At least two Turtle Doves were showing nicely in the scrub near the cottages and we enjoyed nice views of Bearded Reedlings, Sedge Warblers and Reed Warblers by the road. A Clouded Yellow was my first this year.

adult Red-necked Phalarope at Oare Marshes

Turtle Dove at Oare Marshes

At Bough Beech Reservoir we had two Garganey on the North Lake, along with three Mandarins and a scattering of Teal.  Four Green Sandpipers were at the back. There were good numbers of Egyptian Geese and Little Egrets around the margins, as well as many Great Crested Grebes on the water. A short walk in the woodland revealed a couple of Bullfinches and Nuthatches.

two Garganey at Bough Beech Reservoir, with a Mallard

Next we parked up for a short while at the foot of Leith Hill in Coldharbour and enjoyed nice views of a couple of Siskins around the village - a bird that Bob had never seen before. A number of Swallows nesting in the adjacent stables were very active and vocal. By now it was really getting quite hot! We ventured up onto Duke's Warren, hearing a Redstart but otherwise there was only a Willow Warbler of any note.

A walk along Reads Rest Lane at Canons Farm soon produced Bob's desired Yellowhammers, as well as a bonus lifer for him in the form of a Wheatear - the site's first of the autumn.

Wheatear at Canons Farm

Mole Valley Bird Race

That special diary date came around once more, the annual battle for the coveted MVBR trophy. This year the Nightingales of Laughter comprised just me and Ian J, a MVBR first-timer. We started ridiculously early, climbing up Leith Hill in the darkness for the classic suite of pre-dawn heathland songsters. The choir was a couple short this time, with no Tree Pipit or Woodlark in foggy conditions, but it was magical to hear at least three of both Woodcock and Nightjar, as well as a brief burst of Redstart song and a minimum of five Tawny Owls and three male Cuckoos battling for airtime. Once it was vaguely light we proceeded to walk through some of the woodland on site, adding a singing Marsh Tit and a few Treecreepers. Small numbers of Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler and Whitethroat were in voice and a Hawfinch provided a welcome bonus as it ticked above the canopy (although it didn't count towards the race total as Ian didn't hear it). Two Greylags were notable for the site. Driving towards Capel, the craziest encounter of the whole day ensued as a Barnacle Goose flew from Broom Hall Lake with two Canada Geese! A Red-legged Partridge narrowly escaped becoming an RTA but was nice to get on the day list early.

Next up was Capel, where we heard a distant Nightingale singing, as well as three Garden Warblers, and a Cormorant flew over. On the drive out of here near Beare Green, our only Red Kite of the day flew over the main road. Newdigate Lakes, our next venue, always makes for some pleasant birding and the sound of Reed Buntings and Reed Warblers was uplifting both for our spirits and race total. A Yellowhammer sang from an adjacent field and a Sand Martin was seen with a mixed frenzy of House Martins, Swallows and Swifts. Two Little Grebes and 18 Tufted Ducks were counted but we made a hasty retreat when loud machinery made the birding a grating experience.

At Buckland Sand Pits, Ian M served as our guide for a couple of hours. Here we added a Raven, a pair of Grey Wagtails, three Egyptian Geese. Grilling the over-flying gulls paid off with singles of Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed - important day ticks. Seven Sand Martins, a Garden Warbler and a Reed Bunting added to our site tally, while a Grey Heron, two Mistle Thrushes and seven Great Crested Grebes were new for the day. Crossing the road, Lawrence Lane hosted another Yellowhammer and two Red-legged Partridges of note. A short visit to Betchworth Quarry only added a Nuthatch but this turned out to be the only example we saw all day!

Raven at Buckland

Grey Wagtail and Egyptian Geese at Buckland

The weather had closed in by now and was rather damp and miserable so getting to 80 species was looking like a struggle, with passerine activity dulled down. A stroll along the River Mole just south of Leatherhead produced a Little Egret and yet another Yellowhammer (we struggled with this species last year!). After this, we returned to Leith Hill via a blank stop at Friday Street pond (where we hoped to find Mandarin). Searching the Rhododenron Wood and a couple of the car parks, eventually we found a singing Firecrest. A return to Newdigate Lakes seemed fruitless but our two target species showed up at the eleventh hour, a pair of Common Terns passing us, followed by a Hobby which took a break in a nearby tree. Things were looking up. We felt that, considering the weather, we were probably doing well and, now on 80 species, were hoping to add a couple more in the final couple of hours. At Parkgate, it was satisfying to track down a Lapwing, a bird we missed last year, and here we saw another pair of Mistle Thrushes. We were still missing Kingfisher and the most productive thing we could think of doing in the final hour before the 20:00 finishing line was to drive to Brockham and hope that one flew along the Mole. Alas, that did not happen but we enjoyed watching a pair of Grey Wagtails.

Feeling cautiously confident as contenders for the trophy, we entered the pub at 20:00 with the feeling of a job done well, given the challenging weather. It was a bit of a knock down, therefore, to hear team 'Linnet to Win It' once again claimed top prize with 89 species, some eight more than us. A damn fine effort on their part. It seems a strong 90+ total is necessary for any hope of pipping these guys, and some detailed planning for next year's race...

Leith Hill, Carshalton Ponds and Beddington Farmlands

A fine morning spent on Leith Hill with Christian C and Linda M featured a Woodlark and a Woodcock of note. Other than a small number of Siskins, the site was sadly devoid of any of its usual 'good' finches. On the way to Beddington to show David D-L around, I clocked two Egyptian Geese at Carshalton Ponds. Teaming up with David, and with the pleasant surprise of bumping into Koje, we scoured the side of the landfill for the Twite - as much to reassure myself of its continued presence ahead of tomorrow's organised twitch as for David to see it - and just as we were losing hope it flew high over our heads, calling. Otherwise, three Snipe, a Shelduck and a Meadow Pipit were the only birds of particular note.

Leith Hill, 6th November 2017

A fabulous morning was spent ringing on Leith Hill with Paul S - we didn't catch a huge amount of birds but it was nice to get out ringing for the first time in months! There was plenty to look at in between net rounds, with highlights including eight Hawfinches overhead, a Dartford Warbler (a site tick for me), a Woodcock and five Bramblings, while a Skylark and, particularly, a Reed Bunting were notable site birds. At least four Tawny Owls were vocal as we set up just before dawn.

1cy female Goldcrest

Leith Hill, 28th August 2017

I didn't make it to the first proper autumn Leith Hill Tower vismig session a couple of weeks ago so made sure I attended the session this morning. I joined Matt P, David S and Steve C, all in high hopes that the next Surrey mega would be around the corner... It turned out to be a quiet first few hours, apart from a couple of waves of House Martins. Birds around the tower itself provided a welcome distraction, including two of both Spotted Flycatcher and Marsh Tit, plus a Firecrest. By the time the other birders were getting ready to depart mid-morning, our highlight was a couple of southbound Sand Martins and two Grey Wagtails heading the other way. An immature Grey Heron also flew through.

With David already gone, Matt and Steve were packing up their scopes just as 'raptor time' was due to begin and it was kicked off in style with a juvenile female Goshawk which appeared just in the nick of time. We watched it jostling with a male Sparrowhawk for about ten minutes before it landed out of sight in a stand of pines a couple of kilometres or so away. I was left to my own devices and soon picked up a Yellow Wagtail, two Red Kites and a Hobby. Buzzards were out in force and I put down 40-ish in my notebook, this including a flock of 14. I was glad of Paul S's company for the rest of the watch, during which we watched further waves of House Martins go through, including a rather worried-looking flock bomb their way north, only for the Hobby to appear hot on their tails a couple of seconds later!

juvenile female Goshawk (below) with male Sparrowhawk (photo: Matt Phelps)

13-19th June 2017

A busy last week or so, most birding ending up a little off-piste. It feels as though I've adopted two new patches, as I've been to both Frensham and Pagham twice more since my last post. The first time, on 16th, was another great success with further excellent views of the Elegant Tern and the Red-footed Falcon but a repeat on 19th resulted in a double-dip. Frensham also produced a flock of 13 Crossbills (on 16th) and 'other wildlife' lifers in the form of a Sand Lizard (on 19th) and Silver-studded Blues. Both visits to the Common produced nice views and sounds from Dartford Warblers, Woodlarks and Tree Pipits, while the same male Redstart showed again nicely on 19th. Pagham was great for the tern and gull colony (including good numbers of Meds), as well as a 2cy Little Gull and a Cuckoo on 19th, and the Whimbrel again on 16th.

A fabulous evening at Leith Hill on 13th was rewarded with four Nightjars, a couple of Woodlarks, singing Tree Pipits and several Woodcock passes, as well as a hooting Tawny Owl and a couple of Siskins. That day, a Kestrel was nice to see at home in Belmont. I've made a couple of visits to Sutton as a small contribution to keeping an eye on the Peregrines as they fledge, enjoying lovely views of the two juveniles as they become more mobile - there is clearly a pair of Grey Wagtails in the same area, with occasional fly-overs there. A trip to Oare Marshes for some easy birding made for a nice change on 14th and, though nothing unusual was seen, we enjoyed seeing Bearded Reedlings, a couple of Mediterranean Gulls and the usual gathering of Black-tailed Godwits.

The 2cy male Red-footed Falcon spinning some moves over Frensham Common on Friday

Seconds also for the Elegant Tern on Friday

a lucky encounter with a female Sand Lizard at Frensham on Monday

against migration: the Whimbrel at Pagham on Friday

one of my first Silver-studded Blues at Frensham on Friday

a challenge for the title in Sutton on Friday

Perry and Gwen's progeny in Sutton on Friday

A peaceful scene on the East Flood at Oare Marshes on Wednesday

Sedge Warbler at Pagham on Friday

2cy Little Gull at Pagham (PW)

Mole Valley Bird Race, 20th May 2017

Yesterday, Christian C, Phil W and I (the Short-larked Toads a.k.a. The Nightingales of Laughter) emarked on campaign to seize the coveted Mole Valley Bird Race trophy on the event's fourth coming. We were out in the field non-stop between 4am and 8pm, finishing on 86 species, enough to put us in second place out of the four teams, not bad considering our local knowledge was a little patchy. Linnet to Win It came out on top with an incredible 92 species - what a total for one day in a single Surrey district!

We started just before dawn with heathland specialties at Leith Hill, quickly rattling off essentials with Nightjars churring, Woodcocks roding, Woodlarks fluting, Redstarts chiming, Tawny Owls hooting and Cuckoo... cuckoo-ing. Later on we ticked off Tree Pipit, Marsh Tit and Firecrest there. A visit to Buckland Sand Pit saw us find a Mole Valley mega as an adult Sandwich Tern patrolled the lake, slightly altering the other teams' schedules! Other highlights over the day included Spotted Flycatcher, Raven, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, Little Egret, Hobby, Nightingale, Lesser Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Peregrine and unseasonable Black-headed Gull.

Sandwich Tern at Buckland

Common Sandpiper at Buckland

Beddington Farmlands and Leith Hill, 14th May 2017

Rocking up at the Beddington hide this morning (too rainy for Canons), it was the same story of a couple of Common Sandpipers and Little Ringed Plovers on the main island. An Egyptian Goose screaming away and the drake Pochard were about the highlights, along with a Sand Martin lingering. Kojak arrived for his WeBS survey and, after the apparent finale of the rain, I headed towards the far side of the mound. After reading the short paper in this month's British Birds on mixed singing Willow Warblers, I was pleased to stumble upon such a bird in voice along 'Parkside', issuing a mainly Willow refrain with a few 'chiffs' and 'chaffs' thrown in.

Walking back across the mound, a Whimbrel flew across my sight and seemed to pitch down before shortly crossing back towards its origin by the side of the south lake. A scarce bird overall at the farm, particularly in the last couple of years or so, this was a day-maker. 

Whimbrel at Beddington

confused (or innovative?) Willow Warbler at Beddington

riotous Egyptian Goose at Beddington

the Beddington 'Warden'

Christian C and Koje managed to catch up with it later in the morning before CC and I headed to Leith Hill, enjoying a panoply of heathland birds but the biggest surprise was a pair of Stonechats, a species that hasn't bred there for a few years.

♀ Stonechat at Leith Hill

Leith Hill, Beddington Farmlands and Canons Farm, 1-2nd May 2017

Having not been able to attend any of the recent Leith Hill Towerwatches, I was excited to convene with Matt P, Paul S and Stuart C yesterday morning. After huffing and puffing our way up from the Windy Gap car park, we yet again greeted by a scene swathed in a yucky, cold fog. There was very little moving and we were just about to go when a Hawfinch flew across our view to the north, a new bird for me at Leith Hill and my first in Surrey for a few years! Made up with the finch, I was content to leave when it started to rain quite heavily, having also noted four Crossbills, a Woodcock and a singing Firecrest around the tower, as well as hearing my first Cuckoo and two Garden Warblers of the year.

I took the rain as a signal to head to the hide at Beddington, where I joined Dodge, Koje and Swifty. Ringed Plover and Redshank on the main lake were the first I've seen locally this year and I picked out a 2cy Caspian Gull bearing the yellow German ring X242. There was also a Common Sandpiper and two Little Ringed Plovers knocking around but a Little Egret was more of a surprise.

2cy Caspian Gull 'X242' at Beddington on Monday

Ringed Plover at Beddington on Monday

Redshank at Beddington on Monday

Planning on visiting Canons first this morning before heading to Beddington, I opted to do it the other way round when I saw how foggy it was outside, meaning it was bound to be a pea-souper at Canons. Starting with a walk around the south-east corner, I stopped for a quick look at the landfill site on the way and spotted the 2cy Caspian Gull X242 again. The walk was fairly uneventful in terms of migrants, save for two Yellow Wagtails flying over. There were several rather sweet Canada Goose broods being taken out by their parents and the local Lapwings were making their presence known. Back at the lake, I joined the same team as yesterday; the Redshank was still poking around the islands and a Common Sandpiper whirred to and fro. One or two Red Kites passed overhead, the first time I've seen a complete specimen at Beddington! I had a walk at Canons in the afternoon but saw little of note, failing to find Steve's Ring Ouzel from yesterday.

Sedge Warbler at Beddington today

Little Egret at Beddington today

Red Kite at Beddington today

♂ Lapwing at Beddington today

one of at least four Canada Goose broods at Beddington today

Leith Hill, 11th March 2017

The second Towerwatch of the spring saw me join Matt P, Robin S, Paul S, Phil W, David S and Stuart C for another frustratingly fog-laiden morning. We all stuck it out and gassed away till the skies eventually opened up around midday, by which time we had only managed to log a single Crossbill, two redpolls and a handful of Meadow Pipits trickling through of any note. The raptors did start to get up, with around 20 Common Buzzards tallied but the ship had already sailed for anything of 'higher calibre'. Mind you, we did get a Red Kite as descended back to the cars. The first returning Firecrest of the spring was singing lower down, in the distance a Woodlark danced in the sky and a Marsh Tit was calling by the tower and a count of four Tufted Ducks on Broomhall Lake (in the foothills) was notable. I finished on 15 Meadow Pipits by the time we clocked off. I was rather pleased to have seen a Barn Owl near Dorking en-route, at dawn.

The loftiest birders in south-east England

Red Kite

Leith Hill, 18th February 2017

The Leith Hill massive, namely Matt P, Robin S, David S, Wes A and Stu C, assembled on the lofty tower roof for 2017's inaugural '[in]visible migration' session. It was a classic blinder of a Leith Hill Towerwatch, with a stubborn, soupy mist enveloping our view and simply refusing to clear by mid-morning, at which point we'd seen enough mist and cleared off ourselves instead. Single Crossbill and redpoll calls punctuating the murk were the sole rewards for our vigil, although there was plenty time for a good bit of birding banter/gossip. I took myself off for a walk on the heathland nearby, Duke's Warren, which was a bit more ornithologically infused thanks to a singing Woodlark, a Woodcock, two more Crossbills and 115 cacophonous Siskins.

November 18th-22nd 2014

November 22nd 2014

Leith Hill (brief)

Pheasant	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Goldcrest	Present
Blue Tit	Present
Coal Tit	Present
Wren	Present
Blackbird	Present
Redwing	Present
Brambling	Present
Chaffinch	Present
Greenfinch	Present
Goldfinch	Present
Siskin	Present

 
Canons Farm

Pheasant	1
Black-headed Gull	Present
Herring Gull	Present
Feral Pigeon	Present
Woodpigeon	Present
Little Owl	1
Green Woodpecker	1
Great Spotted Woodpecker	2
Kestrel	1
Ring-necked Parakeet	Present
Magpie	Present
Jay	Present
Jackdaw	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Goldcrest	2
Blue Tit	Present
Great Tit	Present
Skylark	20
Long-tailed Tit	Present
Nuthatch	1
Treecreeper	1
Wren	Present
Starling	Present
Blackbird	Present
Fieldfare	100
Song Thrush	6
Redwing	200
Robin	Present
Dunnock	Present
House Sparrow	Present
Pied/White Wagtail	1
Meadow Pipit	5
Chaffinch	Present
Greenfinch	4
Linnet	20
Goldfinch	1
Yellowhammer	4

November 21st 2014

Banstead Woods

Red Kite	1
Black-headed Gull	Present
Herring Gull	Present
Woodpigeon	Present
Ring-necked Parakeet	Present
Magpie	Present
Jay	Present
Jackdaw	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Goldcrest	2
Blue Tit	Present
Great Tit	Present
Long-tailed Tit	Present
Nuthatch	Present
Wren	Present
Blackbird	Present
Fieldfare	30
Song Thrush	Present
Redwing	300
Robin	Present
Dunnock	Present
Pied/White Wagtail	1
Chaffinch	Present
Bullfinch	2
Greenfinch	2
Lesser Redpoll	3

November 20th 2014

Sheepcote Valley

Sparrowhawk	1
Water Rail	1
Black-headed Gull	Present
Herring Gull	Present
Feral Pigeon	Present
Stock Dove	1
Green Woodpecker	1
Kestrel	1
Magpie	Present
Jay	Present
Jackdaw	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Goldcrest	3
Blue Tit	Present
Great Tit	Present
Skylark	10
Chiffchaff	2
Wren	Present
Starling	Present
Blackbird	Present
Song Thrush	4
Robin	Present
Stonechat	3
Dunnock	Present
Pied/White Wagtail	3
Meadow Pipit	20
Chaffinch	Present
Greenfinch	Present
Linnet	8
Goldfinch	Present
Corn Bunting	5

November 19th 2014

Leith Hill

Pheasant	Present
Woodpigeon	Present
Tawny Owl	Present
Green Woodpecker	Present
Great Spotted Woodpecker	Present
Kestrel	1
Jay	Present
Jackdaw	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Raven	1
Goldcrest	Present
Blue Tit	Present
Great Tit	Present
Coal Tit	Present
Marsh Tit	2
Long-tailed Tit	Present
Nuthatch	Present
Wren	Present
Blackbird	Present
Fieldfare	Present
Redwing	Present
Mistle Thrush	1
Robin	Present
Dunnock	Present
House Sparrow	Present
Pied/White Wagtail	Present
Meadow Pipit	1
Brambling	Present
Chaffinch	Present
Bullfinch	1
Lesser Redpoll	Present
Common Crossbill	12
Goldfinch	Present
Siskin	Present

November 18th 2014

Blashford Lakes HWT

Mute Swan	Present
Greylag Goose	Present
Canada Goose	Present
Egyptian Goose	Present
Wigeon	Present
Gadwall	Present
Mallard	Present
Pintail	1
Shoveler	Present
Pochard	Present
Tufted Duck	Present
Goldeneye	3
Goosander	2
------------	2
Cormorant	Present
Grey Heron	Present
Little Grebe	Present
Great Crested Grebe	Present
Black-necked Grebe	1
Buzzard	1
Moorhen	Present
Coot	Present
Lapwing	Present
Green Sandpiper	2
Black-headed Gull	Present
Franklin's Gull	1
Common Gull	Present
Lesser Black-backed Gull	Present
Herring Gull	Present
Yellow-legged Gull	2
Great Black-backed Gull	Present
Green Woodpecker	Present
Magpie	Present
Jay	Present
Jackdaw	Present
Goldcrest	Present
Blue Tit	Present
Great Tit	Present
Long-tailed Tit	Present
Treecreeper	1
Starling	Present
Blackbird	Present
Song Thrush	Present
Robin	Present
Dunnock	Present
Pied Wagtail (yarrellii)	Present
Meadow Pipit	Present
Greenfinch	Present
Goldfinch	Present
Siskin	1

Franklin's Gull

Sheepcote Valley

Black-headed Gull	Present
Herring Gull	Present
Feral Pigeon	Present
Woodpigeon	Present
Kestrel	Present
Magpie	Present
Jackdaw	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Goldcrest	1
Blue Tit	Present
Great Tit	Present
Skylark	10
Wren	Present
Blackbird	Present
Song Thrush	8
Redwing	1
Robin	Present
Stonechat	1
Dunnock	Present
Pied/White Wagtail	1
Meadow Pipit	5
Chaffinch	Present
Greenfinch	Present
Goldfinch	Present
Reed Bunting	2
Corn Bunting	3

November 14th-16th 2014

November 16th 2014

Leith Hill

Pheasant	Present
Woodpigeon	Present
Tawny Owl	2
Green Woodpecker	1
Jay	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Goldcrest	Present
Blue Tit	Present
Great Tit	Present
Coal Tit	Present
Nuthatch	Present
Treecreeper	1
Wren	Present
Blackbird	Present
Fieldfare	Present
Song Thrush	Present
Redwing	Present
Mistle Thrush	1
Robin	Present
Meadow Pipit	1
Brambling	50
Chaffinch	Present
Lesser Redpoll	Present
Goldfinch	Present
Siskin	Present

Adult female Fieldfare

1cy Green Woodpecker

1cy female Brambling

Leysdown-on-Sea

Brent Goose (Dark-bellied)	Present
Red-throated Diver	2
Gannet	5
Cormorant	Present
Great Crested Grebe	5
Oystercatcher	Present
Grey Plover	Present
Ringed Plover	Present
Curlew	Present
Bar-tailed Godwit	Present
Turnstone	Present
Dunlin	Present
Redshank	Present
Black-headed Gull	Present
Little Gull	3
Mediterranean Gull	1
Common Gull	Present
Herring Gull	Present
Great Black-backed Gull	Present
Woodpigeon	Present
Collared Dove	Present
Green Woodpecker	Present
Magpie	Present
Jackdaw	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Wren	Present
Starling	Present
Blackbird	Present
Robin	Present
Dunnock	Present
House Sparrow	Present
Pied Wagtail (yarrellii)	Present

Capel Fleet

Mute Swan	Present
Pink-footed Goose	30
Greylag Goose	Present
Teal	Present
Mallard	Present
Red-legged Partridge	Present
Pheasant	Present
Cormorant	Present
Little Egret	Present
Grey Heron	Present
Little Grebe	Present
Marsh Harrier	10
Buzzard	2
Coot	Present
Lapwing	Present
Black-tailed Godwit	8
Snipe	2
Black-headed Gull	Present
Herring Gull	Present
Great Black-backed Gull	Present
Woodpigeon	Present
Short-eared Owl	1
Kestrel	3
Magpie	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Skylark	Present
Starling	Present
Blackbird	Present
Stonechat	2
Pied Wagtail (yarrellii)	Present
Meadow Pipit	Present
Reed Bunting	1

November 14th 2014

Leith Hill

Pheasant	Present
Sparrowhawk	1
Woodpigeon	Present
Great Spotted Woodpecker	Present
Kestrel	2
Magpie	Present
Jay	Present
Jackdaw	Present
Carrion Crow	Present
Goldcrest	Present
Blue Tit	Present
Great Tit	Present
Coal Tit	Present
Marsh Tit	2
Long-tailed Tit	Present
Nuthatch	Present
Treecreeper	3
Wren	Present
Blackbird	Present
Fieldfare	1
Redwing	15
Mistle Thrush	1
Robin	Present
House Sparrow	Present
Grey Wagtail	1
Brambling	1
Chaffinch	Present
Greenfinch	Present
[Redpoll (Common/Lesser)]	2
Goldfinch	Present
Siskin	Present